Fri, 15 Mar 2019 19:38:48 -0400WeeblyWed, 20 Feb 2019 22:25:08 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/the-rise-of-the-anti-heroI recently watched the movie “Oceans 8”. Although I really enjoyed the movie, I couldn’t help but notice that while watching the movie, I was cheering for the thieves to win! If you have watched any of the “Oceans” movies, you will realize that is nothing new, since these movies are all about watching the “con-men” win. It is not just the “Oceans” movies that have us cheering for those on the wrong side of the law. In 2016, DC put out their movie “Suicide Squad”, where a group of convicted thieves and murderers are called together to become a cohort of true “Anti-Heroes” whose mission is to defeat impossible enemies and if they die in the process….so be it.The Rise of the Anti-Hero is not limited to just what we see in entertainment, we are seeing it in politics, in the media, seemingly everywhere we look. This really shouldn’t surprise us as this was prophesied thousands of years ago by Timothy. Timothy tells us in scripture that this is a sign of the Last Days. Specifically, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 states:“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power…”

​ Earlier this year, the new U.S. Congress was sworn into office. The major headline that January day was not about the legislative plans or the positive actions we would see from this Congress. The major headline was instead a foul-mouthed comment made by a freshman representative. Comments that not too long ago would have been considered treason. Instead these comments were celebrated and applauded by the mainstream media and this representative was lauded as a “hero” by the late-night talking heads. On January 22, 2019 we were told that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York Legislature signed into law the Reproductive Health Act. This new law expands the already existing abortion laws that were in place in New York. With this new act, “non-physicians” are now allowed to perform abortions. Furthermore, the law allows for abortions through the third trimester of pregnancy, up to and including the time of birth. Additionally, the new law removes protections for babies who survive an abortion procedure. Instead of an outcry against the murdering of innocent lives, this law was met with thunderous applause. In fact, the Governor of NY stated:

“Today we are taking a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman's right to make her own decisions about her own personal health, including the ability to access an abortion." --Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

The Governor of New York was lauded as a “hero of woman’s rights” by some. Within days of this NY bill passing, we were told of a similar bill making it’s way through the Virginia legislature. A bill that is seemingly supported by the Governor of Virginia as well as the mainstream media.As a Christian living in 2019, it is easy to throw up our hands and shrink back in depression when seeing all of this, but I want to encourage you today to take heart – there is HOPE! None of this is a surprise to GOD, nor should it be a surprise to any of us. The rise of these “Anti-Hero’s” reminds us that we are in the last days as prophesied by Timothy. I believe that this is the time when it is most critical for Christians to stand up for what they believe. By standing up, we will set a standard reminding those that are seeking what is truly right. Standing firm for the gospel of Jesus Christ will become less and less popular in the days ahead, however it will be more and more important. You never know how many lives you will impact in these last days, by just standing for what is right according to scripture.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! -- Isaiah 5:20 (NASB)]]>Mon, 21 Sep 2015 19:14:14 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/our-hopeOver the last few weeks, I have seen a plethora of articles discussing the acceleration of “end times” events.Just to name a few of these events …

A Christian woman from Kentucky, put in jail for taking a stand for a biblical view of marriageFour million Syrian refugees fleeing their homeland and pouring into other countries

A significant Russian military buildup in Syria

Much debate regarding the UN General Assembly meeting on September 25 where both the Pope and Iranian President Rouhani’s are scheduled to make speeches.Reportedly, President Rouhani is going to focus on the issue of Palestine.

An apparent end to “if you see something / say something” which occurred when a 14 year old muslim boy brought a homemade “clock” to school which was mistaken by a teacher for a bomb.The school and teacher have since been portrayed negatively in the press, social media and even the white house, instead of being applauded for being careful.

Much speculation over the recent “Shemitah” and potential impact on financial markets.

Much speculation over the pending fourth “blood moon” to coincide with the Jewish holiday – Yom Kippur

Although I agree that these events may be significant from an end times perspective, most of the articles I read left the readers in a state of fear and confusion.Today, I want to remind you that the portions of scripture which refer to the end times and descriptions of significant end times events are meant to bring HOPE and not fear. During the Olivet Discourse- found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 - Jesus responds to a question from His disciples and tells of the events that would indicate that the last days were approaching.In Mark 13:23, Jesus ends the discussion by stating “So be on your guard: I have told you everything ahead of time.”Luke adds some more detail to this in Luke 21:34 when he reports the words of JESUS saying: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”Clearly Jesus didn’t want anyone to be caught by surprise.These words were not meant to put fear into the hearts of men...on the contrary, they were meant to bring Hope! Maybe you are thinking, “how can say that this is about hope when everything preceding those verses is about the awful things and persecution that we would see as the end times approaches?”If that is you, I would remind you that the end times for the believer is a time of reuniting with JESUS CHRIST!In Titus 2:13, Paul reminds us that we are waiting for “…the blessed Hope – the glorious appearing of our great GOD and Savior, JESUS CHRIST”!In John 14:3 Jesus Himself said “…I go and prepare a place for you, [and] I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”!

This is the real message of the end times…a message of HOPE as we are physically reunited with our LORD and Savior JESUS CHRIST and will be with HIM forever.End times prophecy is not meant to help us “time the stock market” or cause our “hearts to fail for fear”.It is meant to encourage us to focus on that which is truly important and to ensure that we are prepared for the return of Jesus Christ!Now THAT is a message of HOPE….to be with JESUS our SAVIOR forever! Today, be sure that you are saved.If you have never asked JESUS to be Lord of your life, do it today!Confess your sins to HIM, tell HIM that you believe in HIM and give JESUS full control over your life.Do not fear, but be encouraged and have HOPE, because Jesus will be returning soon for those who believe in HIM – just as HE said!]]>Sat, 11 Jul 2015 23:14:22 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/it-used-to-be-goldThere has been quite a bit of news this week, related to an increased acceptance of cryptocurrency.One of the primary drivers of this phenomenon has been the economic situation in Greece.Fortune magazine published an article entitled: “Bitcoin: Greece’s new Euro workaround?”, whichhighlights the fact that Greece’s Bitcoin use has grown 500% in the last four weeks!With banking restrictions and limits on the amount of currency that can be withdrawn in Greece, it appears that individuals are flocking to digital currency in an attempt to minimize the impact on their daily lives.The Fortune article further states that, “You buy a bitcoin now because you think sometime in the future you’ll have your banks shut and your currency reintroduced,” he adds. “Gold was the old hedge against this sort of thing. Bitcoin is the new one.”Apparently other European countries are also buying Bitcoins in speculation that it is being used as a “Euro workaround”.Although this is an interesting phenomenon, there are two other items that occurred this week which make this even more “prophetically significant”.On Wednesday, July 8, Yahoo! Finance published an article stating that Citigroup, has developed their own digital currency dubbed - Citicoin.Citigroup is the third largest bank in the US (behind Chase and Bank of America) based on Asset size.With this announcement, Citi helped to validate the trend towards digital currencies and confirmed that this is not just a “passing fad”.In addition to this admission by Citigroup, it is interesting to note that Yahoo! Finance published this article on Wednesday, July 8 – the same day that New York Stock Exchange was shut down for 3½ hours due to a “computer glitch”.Interesting, huh?The technology that supports both the Bitcoin and Citicoin is called “Blockchain distributed ledger technologies”.Without getting too technical, essentially “Blockchain” is a decentralized, secure, transparent methodfor processing and verifying peer-to-peer transactions.Many experts believe that this “Blockchain” technology has far reaching potential uses beyond digital currency including: electronic voting, patent tracking and taxes.Beyond the technology itself, this is all very interesting as it was first released in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, a name which is believed to be an alias for an individual or a group of developers.Although there have been numerous suggestions, the true identify of Nakamoto has not yet been confirmed.Furthermore, this unregulated digital currency is a “borderless currency” which means it sets the stage for the first truly global currency.The Bible tells of an event, which will occur during the early part of the 7-year tribulation, that is directly related to a full global financial collapse.In Revelation, chapter 6 we read a description of the “Seal Judgments”.The first four verses talk about the first two seals: a white horse signifying the introduction of the antichrist and a red horse signifying a global war.In verses five and six, we are told about a black horse:“When HE broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”Most commentators believe this third horse represents famine.However, I believe that the “pair of scales”described in verse five, implies that this is also about control over the financial system to purchase critical goods-such as food.(Additionally, verses seven and eight describe the fourth judgment which specifically calls out famine as a component of the judgment.) The details in verse six essentially sets the cost of “a day’s worth of food” at a cost of “a day’s wages”.Today there is a lot of variation on what actually defines “a day’s worth of food” and even more variation on what is described as “a day’s wages”.This verse seems to imply that during this early point of the tribulation, this will be a more standardized definition of both the quantity of food (rations) as well as the related cost.Currently, there are more than 160 active global currencies in existence.Even though the two primary currencies today are the US dollar and the Euro, it would be incredibly difficult for an individual to control all of them in such a way that there would be a common global price for a specific item such as a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley.Just think how much easier it would be to control the cost for these and other items with a single, global currency.A few chapters later, in Revelation chapter 13, John describes another layer of control over the financial system.Revelation 13: 16 & 17 state:“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the name of the beast or the number of his name. “The mark described in this verse will be some type of identifier which will enable commerce.It is important to note that individuals will need to accept this as a form of worship of the beast.Although this mark will allow the bearers to buy and sell critical items, it will also have severe consequences in that bearers will be putting the beast in the place of the ONE TRUE GOD in their lives.In recent years the technology to enable this type of control with either a digital tattoo or a digital implant has been created, however, the type of currency still presented a bit of dilemma.Clearly a single, global, “uncontrolled”, digital currency would facilitate this as well!The US Dollar, along with many other currencies throughout history, was at one time backed by gold.Historically, gold has been the “go to” in times of economic uncertainty.That is no longer the case as we are now seeing by these news events.Clearly a digital cryptocurrency facilitates much of what is to come during the tribulation.Get all excited friends; the return of Christ is closer now than it ever has been before!God Bless! ]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2015 21:37:34 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/persecution-coming-to-christians-everywhereThere has been a lot of “reporting” in the media over the last few weeks regarding Josh Duggar and an incident which occurred over 12 years ago. When I first heard the report, I was surprised at all of the “noise” being made by the media about something done by Josh Duggar when he was just 14, especially considering that he did not deny the reports nor did he look to defend himself.In fact, Josh actually apologized when the initial report came out and even resigned from his job.When I first heard all of this, I assumed that it would quickly die down, however almost two weeks later, there is still a lot of “noise” being made about the situation.As we all know, the Duggar family has promoted Christ-centered, conservative values ever since they became known to America through their hit television show "19 Kids and Counting".Over the last two years, Josh has served as an Executive Director for FRC Action, an arm of the Family Research Council.The Family Research Council is a policy organization which takes a stand for Conservative, Christian values.In fact, according to their website, the mission statement for Family Research Council is “to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a Christian worldview.” Could it be that standing up for a Christian Worldview, especially on matters such as homosexuality, marriage and family, is why the persecution of this young man has been so severe?This thought reminds me of something that Jesus said during the Olivet Discourse:“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of MY name.”(Matthew 24:9, NASB)We tend to think of persecution as something that happens in countries where there is no religious freedom.A country where people are thrown in jail, just for being a Christian.However, over the last few decades it has become quite unpopular to take a Christian Worldview stance on many of the moral issues of the day.In fact, the Liberty institute in partnership with the Family Research Council recently released a study entitled: UNDENIABLE: The Survey of Hostility to Religion in America, which clearly shows that there is an increase in religious persecution occurring in America today.As Christians who study the word of God, none of this should surprise us.In fact, we should be expecting that persecution will increase in the days ahead, as we approach the tribulation and soon return of Christ.In the meantime, what should we be doing?Should we just keep quiet and look to not take a stand so that we can protect ourselves from persecution?I believe that the answer is a resounding NO!Just like Noah did in his day, Christians today should be taking a stand for what we know is right according to scripture.We should be standing for Christian values not just with our words, but in how we live.The Gospel of Mark records this same prophecy, however it also includes a reminder of the purpose that persecution serves:“But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for MY sake, as a testimony to them.”(Mark 13:9, NASB)Did you catch that?Persecution serves the purpose of allowing the persecuted to serve as a testimony to the persecutors.Clearly GOD is merciful!As we rapidly accelerate towards the tribulation and the return of Christ, know that persecution – even in America – will steadily escalate.The hope that we have is that in the intensification of persecution, there will also be an enhanced opportunity to reach those with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.Could it be that Josh Duggar will have the opportunity to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who were previously unreached?Only time will tell.As this story continues to unfold, I believe that we will see that this is really not about the past actions of a then young teenage boy as much as it is persecuting this now young man for taking a stand for biblically based principles and the gospel of Jesus Christ.We encourage Christians everywhere to continue to stand up for biblical principles and the gospel of Jesus Christ.Remember, as persecution increases, take advantage of the opportunity to share your testimony with all that you can, even your persecutors.You never who GOD will allow you to reach through the words of your testimony!God Bless!]]>Sat, 29 Nov 2014 19:34:00 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/lawlessnessEarlier this week, the Grand Jury announced their verdict in Ferguson, Missouri.Their decision has led to groups of protestors coming out all across the United States.Yahoo! news reported that a mall in the St. Louis area was shut down on black Friday (http://news.yahoo.com/st-louis-area-mall-closes-black-friday-ferguson-004407333.html?.tsrc=bsnls) as the Ferguson protest continued to spread.In fact, Protestors of the Grand Jury decision disrupted black Friday shopping across the US from New York City to Chicago to California.Ultimately, hundreds of people have been arrested this week for acts of lawlessness.I am not here to debate the merits of this case or the grand jury decision, but I do want to take a moment to talk about lawlessness and it’s significance as an end times sign.During the Olivet discourse as detailed in the book of Matthew, Jesus gives His audience an overview of the signs of the end times.In Matthew 24:12, Jesus states:“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” (NASB)Dictionary.com defines lawlessness as “contrary to or without regard for the law: being without law; uncontrolled by a law; unbridled; unruly; unrestrained”.This tells us that a “lawless person” is one who has an unrestrained, disregard for the law.The Greek word that is used for lawlessness in this verse is “anomos” literally meaning without law (a – nomos).That tells me that in this verse, Jesus speaks of a deliberate disobedience and a willful rebellion against the laws of man and of GOD.Isn’t this a picture of what we are seeing in the protests this week…deliberate disobedience and willful rebellion against a legal decision that was made?It is lawlessness.In this verse, Jesus doesn’t just speak of “lawlessness”, but the fact that lawlessness is increased.Jesus is essentially telling us that it isn’t just confined to the actions of a single lawless individual, but that lawless would be pervasive throughout the community as we get closer to the time of His return. Again, isn’t this exactly what we saw this week with protests reaching from one coast of the country to the other?This verse also lets us know that lawlessness will not subside, but it that it will continue to increase until the end. In fact lawlessness, as defined as rebellion against God’s law, will be a consistent theme seen throughout the end times.2 Thessalonians 2:3 talks about “the man of lawlessness”.A few verses later, in verse 7, we are told about “the mystery of lawlessness” that is “already at work”, but is being “restrained”.Lawless rebellion against GOD and HIS law will continue through the tribulation as seen in the individuals impacted by the 21 judgments who still refuse to turn to GOD and repent (Rev. 16:9) and still choose to blaspheme God (Rev. 16:21).The final battle, described in scripture as the Battle of Armageddon, is a failed, LAWLESS attempt by the armies of the “man of lawlessness” to defy and defeat the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16).The end result of the “increase of lawlessness” is that “most people’s love will grow cold”.Once again, this is exactly what we are seeing in the news today.The heated debate around the Ferguson protests and the language used on both sides is definitely not “words of love”!Digging further through the news, you can find accounts of "love growing cold" as seen by the increase in parents who have killed their own children.In fact, News 4 New York reported last week that another mother shot her three kids before turning the gun on herself.(http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Mother-Who-Shot-Kids-Before-Turning-Gun-on-Herself-Dies-Police-283632861.html)Does all of this mean that we should just lose hope, throw up our hands, give in to the lawlessness ourselves and sit back and wait for the rapture?Absolutely not!Throughout the New Testament, lawlessness is contrasted with righteousness (Rom 6:19, 2 Cor 6:14, Heb 1:9, 1 John 3:3-4).That tells me that if Christians continue to stand for what is right, then those that are “lawless” will see the difference and may even turn from their wicked ways.There are many who are being spurred to act in “lawlessness” who don’t even realize that there is a better way.We need to take a stand for righteousness even in these last days.Take heart, because although we may see increasing wickedness all around, we have hope, because there is coming a day when all lawlessness will end.Philippians 2:9-11, tells of a day when “at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”!As you continue to see lawlessness increasing all around us in the weeks ahead, be encouraged because we are coming closer to the time when “they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory”! (Mt 24:30)]]>Mon, 01 Sep 2014 16:22:30 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/a-different-view-of-immigrationThere continues to be a lot of attention in the media on the topic of Illegal Immigration. It is now being reported that unaccompanied illegal immigrant children are being shipped around the US to all 50 states and even the US Virgin Islands. Did you know that in just the first six (6) months of 2014, over 30,000 unaccompanied illegal immigrant children were identified and shipped across the USA by the Office of Refugee settlement? According to media reports, the majority of these 30,000 illegal immigrants were young boys between the ages of 12 and 17. I admit that when I first heard this I started to get really angry and even began to question GOD on why HE would let this happen. I remember thinking what a risk this is, allowing an “illegal army” to amass within our borders at US Taxpayer expense. The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I became. As I began to pray about this topic, I felt prompted by the LORD to read Matthew 24:14 which says:

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 NASB) After reading those words, I became excited and began to think, “could it be that GOD was allowing these children to come to the US so that they could hear about the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST before the end comes”? Could it be that these children entering US borders - even illegally - is another sign of the soon return of CHRIST? Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that illegal immigration shoudl be allowed, but I do believe that this is an opportunity for those of us that are Christians to reach even “the least of these”. (Matt 25:40) My challenge to you isthat you would tell someone - even an illegal immigrant - about the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST today! Instead of just complaining about Illegal Immigration…do something about it, tell them about JESUS CHRIST!]]>Sat, 19 Jul 2014 19:00:06 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/alignment

Ezekiel 38 tells of an epic battle that is yet to be played out with a cast of characters who, at first glance, appear to not exist on our modern day maps.This prophecy speaks of armies from countries such as: Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Beth Togarmah, Sheba and Dedan being drawn out to attack God’s People – the nation of Israel.All of these countries seem, to the casual observer, to be nonexistent in this modern era.Ezekiel’s prophecy then goes on to detail how GOD will miraculously intervene (verses 17-23) to protect the nation of Israel and destroy all of the invading forces. But who are these ancient named pawns that are used as part of God’s plan?It is interesting to note that many of the countries listed in Ezekiel 38 are actually seen in other portions of scripture.In fact, Genesis 10, which is often referred to as the “Table of Nations” refers to several of these same countries.The first eight verses of Genesis 10 (NASB) tell us:﻿“…Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth wereGomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras.3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.4 The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

6 The sons of Ham wereCush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.7 The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah wereSheba and Dedan.8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth…”(emphasis added)﻿Did you catch all of those similarities to the countries identified by Ezekiel?Let’s take a closer look at some of the main characters detailed by Ezekiel more than 2,500 years ago.GogEzekiel 38:2 details the first of the main characters when he states“…Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him…”.This first person, and yes it is a person not a county, is called Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.Gog as used here would actually be more of a ‘title’ not a specific name.Think of it as you would the title ‘Pharaoh’, ‘Czar’ or ‘President’.So essentially he is the President of Magog, Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.

Magog, Rosh, Meshech and TubalThe Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire combined with the writings of Josephus in “The Antiquities of the Jews” (Book 1, Chapter 6), give us a clue as to the modern day identity of Magog as they are referred to as the Scythians.Josephus tells us that “Magog founded the Magogians, and the Magogogites were the people called Scythians by the Greeks”.The Scythians were a nomadic tribe who ultimately inhabited what is now referred to as Russia and the “Stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, etc.).The Masoretic Text and Septuagint both point to Rosh being a specific place.In fact in Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament written in the 19th Century, Rosh was referred to as Russia.This same researcher, Wilhelm Gesenius, identified Meshech as the founder of Moschi (meaning mountains) now referred to as Moscow.Tubal is believed by most to refer to the Tobolsk region in Russia.PersiaThe next in our cast of characters is Persia which is now referred to as Iran.In fact, prior to 1935, modern day Iran was actually called Persia.Cush and PutCush and Put are both named in Genesis chapter 10 and were two of the sons of Ham and grandsons of Noah.According to the writings of Josephus, Cush, the son of Ham, was in possession of the lands south of Egypt, specifically modern day Ethiopia and the Sudan.Put, the son of Ham, was referred to as Phut by Josephus and his territory included modern day Libya and most likely Tunisia and Algeria.Sheba and DedanSheba and Dedan are mentioned as the grandsons of Cush in Genesis 10:7.There is also a reference in Genesis 25:3 naming Sheba and Dedan as two of the grandsons of Abraham.It is not clear exactly which pair of men are the ones referenced by Ezekiel, however, most commentaries identify the countries represented as modern day Saudi Arabia and parts of the Persian Gulf Region.Beth TogarmahBeth Togarmah literally means “the house of Togarmah”.There is still some lack of clarity over the exact identity of Togarmah, however the most convincing evidence points to Armenia and parts of modern day Turkey.In fact, there are Assyrian records which refer to modern day Armenia as “the house of Togarmah”.Many commentaries refer to these people as individuals who migrated from Cappdocia (Turkey), which in Ezekiel’s time included a city known as “Tegarma” or “Tagarma”, into Armenia and then up into Turkistan and even further north into Siberia and Mongolia.GomerFinally we have Gomer.There is much debate over the identity of this country.Voltaire claimed that Gomer was a reference to modern day France or Spain.Some have identified this as other parts of Eastern Europe as Gomer may have inhabited areas of the Rhine and Danube Valleys in Germany.However, one of the most compelling identifications is that the Gomerites were the ancient Cimmerians.The Cimmerians were expelled in 700 BC from the Southern portion of Russia into the land we refer to today as Turkey.Overall, we can see that all of these ancient characters still exist today and that they are beginning to align together based on their mutual enemy – the nation of Israel.In fact a recent Yahoo! news article mentioned that with the latest unrest occurring in Iraq, the United States has begun to pull it’s citizens out of the country due to safety concerns.This void is giving Russia an opportunity to step into Iraq to “help” provide resources to fill this occupancy vaccuum.This development is especially interesting when coupled with the fact that Iraq is not specifically referred to in Ezekiel 38.In the fall of 2007, Russia (Rosh) and Iran (Persia) declared a military alliance largely based on their desire to “defend against western aggression”.This alliance has continued to strengthen and expand over the last seven years.In 2014, we have seen a real resurgence and re-strengthening of Russia with the annexation of Crimea and now the border battle with the Ukraine. Ezekiel does not tell us specifically when this war will happen, but he does give us four clues as to the timing of the event.Specifically verses 8-14 tell us:

This will happen in future years (latter days).

The land (Israel) will be recovering from war.

The residents of the land (Israel) will be gathered from many nations and brought out from the nations.

The land will be made up of unwalled villages and a peaceful, prospering and unsuspecting people.

Since we are over 2,500 years past the date of the prophecy, I would say that the first condition of future years is definitely met.History shows us that Israel has grown quickly since it’s “re-birth” in 1948 with Israeli’s returning to their homeland from the nations, meeting the third condition above.Additionally a look at the Israeli business news allows us to realize that Israel is a prosperous nation – fulfilling a portion of the fourth point above.However, the current military actions this month in Gaza show clearly that Israel is not currently at peace. Israel is currently at war, not recovering from war.Could a victory in this current military situation lead to Israel being a “land recovering from war”?It is also interesting to note that Hamas has built tunnels from Gaza into Israel.On July 19, 2014, the New York Times reported that “…Israeli troops have uncovered 13 tunnels from Gaza into Israel since the start of the ground operation, some of them as much as 30 yards underground, with multiple entry points beneath greenhouses and open fields, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, said on Saturday. He said that the 13 tunnels, now under Israeli control, were all over the periphery of Gaza and that he believed there were “tens” more…”Could this be the beginnings of “unwalled villages”?These are exciting times for those awaiting the return of the Messiah!Keep your heart focused on the Lord and your ears listening for that trumpet sound…HE is coming quickly!

]]>Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:54:13 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/need-for-speedThe new Need for Speed movie came out this past week and it made me think about how things seem to have been “speeding up” lately.One of the most popular portions of scripture related to Bible Prophecy is found in Matthew 24.In this sermon, Jesus told His listeners about some of the signs that would signal HIS return and the end of the age.Matthew 24: 4-8 “…4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs…”

1 Thessalonians 5:3 tells us that “…While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape…”Daniel 12:4 reminds us that technology will accelerate as we approach the end of time.We see that at the conclusion of the Old Testament book of Daniel when we are told “…conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”

Birth pangs or labor pains are the pains that a woman feels as she is getting ready to give birth.Typically they start out slowly and far apart, but as the time for delivery comes close, the contractions get closer together and more intense.Spiritually we are seeing an increasing frequency and intensity of events that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24.A careful read of scripture shows us that these birth pangs occur in several broad areas including (but not limited to):

Signs on the earth – Earthquakes, Famine, Pestilence

Signs in the heavens – Sun, Moon & Stars

Signs in the nations – Wars and Rumors of Wars

Signs in the culture – Violence, Apostasy, Lack of Faith

Signs in technology – Increase in knowledge, Increased speed

Just take a quick look at some recent news items and you can see how things seem to be speeding up as of late.Let’s take a quick look:

According to the United States Geological Survey there have been eight (8) earthquakes of a magnitude of 6 or more just in the first two weeks of March 2014.There have been a total of almost 300 earthquakes since the beginning of 2014 with the most powerful one (6.9) so far this year occurring in China on February 12.On March 10 there was a 6.8 magnitude earthquake which struck near Ferndale, California.Did you know that the number of earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or higher has steadily increased in every decade throughout the last 60 years?

On February 25, 2014 Time magazine posted an article talking about Detroit, the city hardest hit by the awful winter.The winter of 2014 saw Atlanta, Georgia being brought to a complete standstill.There is actually no shortage of headlines talking about the cold, in fact accuweather.com posted a March 10, 2014 article detailing how New Orleans was having the “coldest Mardi Gras ever”.People have been asking “what is happening with the weather lately”?Could it be that GOD is trying to get our attention?

The amount of data that is available in the world has been steadily increasing.In 2010, IDC estimated the “digital universe” at 1.2 Million Petabytes (a petabyte is 1 million gigabytes) or 1.2 Zettabytes.In 2013 this number had already reached 4 Zettabytes and is projected to grow to 35 Zettabytes by 2020!That is a staggering amount of data and has helped to drive new terminology like “big data” and “cloud storage”.

There is continued “war and rumors of war”.Throughout the last few weeks we have seen this highlighted in the conflicts occurring in the Ukraine.In fact the New York Times ran an article on March 14, 2014 stating: “Rumors Mushroom in Eastern Ukraine, Fueling Expectations of War”.

Whether you agree that things are speeding up or not, it begs the question, what if Jesus were to return today….would you be ready to meet HIM?If the answer is “yes”, then great!However, if your answer is “no”, then don’t delay any longer.Get ready today! The time for HIS return is coming quickly! ]]>Sat, 01 Feb 2014 22:26:38 GMThttp://www.truehopeministries.com/the-writing-on-the-wall/the-writing-on-the-wallDid you ever wonder where certain everyday expressions come from?Phrases like “being caught between a rock and a hard place”, “a Herculean effort”, “he’s so full of himself” and “Achilles’ heel” actually all tie back to Greek Mythology.Other expressions such as “twinkling of an eye”, “drop in the bucket”, “signs of the times” and “powers that be” all have their roots in the Bible.Over the past few weeks, I have been pondering one such expression:“the writing on the wall”.Today, this phrase is typically used to describe a situation where you could literally see doom coming beforehand.The roots of this phrase are found in the Old Testament of Scripture, specifically in Daniel 5.This portion of scripture tells of an event that occurred in Ancient Babylon.In verse 1 of this chapter we are introduced to Belshazzar, the King of Babylon.Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, the King of the Babylonian empire who took Daniel and his friends into captivity.Belshazzar threw a big party with all of his friends and basically mocked the ONE TRUE GOD -JEHOVAH.Suddenly a hand appeared out of thin air and wrote a phrase on the wall.5 Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.6 Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.The hand terrified the King and his guests as a message was written that nobody could understand.The King was scared by what he saw, but he didn’t know what the message meant.In fact, none of his counselors understood the message.The “great minds” of the day couldn’t tell the king what it meant.Nobody understood the words of warning.None that is except for a prophet of the Lord named Daniel.25 “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’26 This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.27 ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.28 ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”The King James version of scripture states the word “TEKEL” as “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting (or lacking)”.Wow, can you imagine being Daniel and having to tell the king that GOD examined him and he didn’t measure up?Daniel went on to tell Belshazzar that his kingdom would be taken from him and given to the Medes and Persians.What a terrifying word of judgment!That very night, this word of warning came to pass.Belshazzar was murdered and the Medes and Persians took over the Babylonian empire.It always amazes me how GOD constantly warns people about what lies ahead.Amos 3:7 tells us “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants…”. That statement is as true today as when it was written over 2,700 years ago.The book of Jonah tells of how GOD sent the prophet Jonah to warn an entire nation to repent because HIS judgment was coming.Romans 13:11-12 encourages New Testament believers to “wake up” because “the day is at hand”.Make no mistake, we are living in what Scripture calls “the Last Days”.We are quickly approaching the day when Christ will return for HIS Church.As that day draws near, I believe that GOD will continue to give us indications that events are unfolding in this generation just as HE did in generations past.In this blog we will attempt to point out events that we see unfolding around us which can be tied back to biblical prophecies describing events of the Last Days found in scripture.Literally, we will seek to explore, the “Writing on the Wall” as we see it today.Can you see that we are living in the last days?If you were examined by God would you be found lacking or would you be one of the saved?Take time today to surrender your life to JESUS CHRIST, our One True Hope.He is coming back soon…be ready!God Bless,Stephen ]]>